Biography Richard Ansdell

Most acclaimed for his life-like depiction of dogs, his work is often compared to that of Sir Edwin Landseer.

Ansdell was born in Liverpool and educated at the Blue Coat School. He studied under W. C. Smith, a portrait painter, and then worked for an art dealer in Liverpool, before entering the Liverpool Academy in 1836. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1840. In 1845 and 1846, Ansdell was elected President of the Liverpool Academy. He moved prermanently to London in 1847. It was there that he began to work with Thomas Creswick and William Powell Frith on several collaborations and established his long-standing reputation.